10 Years Later
by LovelettersFib
Summary: How would you feel if you woke up in Renji's arms?
1. I'm married to YOU?

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Bleach, I would be a lot happier, but since I don't…

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

**Note: **Don't you think this pairing is so cute?

Tatsuki released a low growl.

Yes. School was a pain in the ass. Ichigo began to ignore her a long way back. Nobody seemed to really pay attention to her. Even that Chizuru bitch's mind seemed to be somewhere else. Probably on Orihime's boobs, or something.

It was another lazy afternoon. School was done. Everyone had gone home. Nothing too special happened.

Tatsuki walked into a narrow alley. A rusted tin can was on the floor. She smiled. Aha! Finally, there was something to kick. She kicked the tin can with her foot as hard as she could. Kicking things made her feel better…somehow. Too bad she never thought the tin can wasn't going to bounce off of anything. It hit the walls of a shabby house and hit her hard in the head. Arisawa Tatsuki had been knocked out…by an old tin can.

**A few moments later…**

Tatsuki felt the comforting poof of a puffy pillow and the coolness of a newly laundered blanket. She felt strong arms pull her close. Alarmed, she opened her eyes. Her face immediately reddened as soon as she saw who it was. Gently pressing her to his body was Abarai Renji-the hotheaded bastard that she loathed. His flaming red hair was loose and his upper body was bare. He had so many tattoos… But that wasn't the case! She yelled and pushed him off the bed. Renji was startled and he opened his eyes.

"Tatsuki, what's wrong?"

"W-what…are…you…. doing…in…bed…with…me!"

"Geez. What's wrong with you? Can't a husband sleep in the same bed with his own wife?"

"WIFE!"

Tatsuki was outraged and too shocked to say anything.


	2. So you really DID mean it!

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Bleach, I would be a lot happier, but since I don't…

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

Tatsuki's eyes were wide and her head was buzzing with confusion. She looked at her right hand. Sure enough, there was a delicate silver ring with a ruby set in the middle.

Renji was worried. They had married two months ago and she had never behaved this way. Well…maybe at first, she did. What was wrong with her? Was she playing a joke on him?

Tatsuki stared at the ring. Now, she was outraged, confused, shocked, AND frightened. How could she marry that…that Abarai Renji! He had pulled so many pranks on her during high school and they had big disputes and…

She finally noticed what she was wearing. She was in her underwear and a white tank top. She blushed and covered her chest.

"Tatsuki, stop scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Shut the hell up, you pervert. First, you take my clothes off and then you slip this ring on my finger. Then, you act like you're married to me. What a joke."

"What? Tatsuki, I'm not joking. It's been 10 years! I've grown out of playing jokes. Stop trying to scare me. We're MARRIED, you hear me? MARRIED."

Tatsuki's mouth gaped open. This guy was taking it TOO far! She glared as if she was drilling holes through him and she headed towards him, hands made into fists.

Renji was just as confused as Tatsuki when he felt a painful blow to his face and he was falling on to his bed. He clutched Tatsuki's arms and pulled her down with him. He pushed her under him and pinned her arms to the bed, making sure her legs weren't free to kick him.

"Tatsuki, listen to me! Snap out of it and come to your senses. What happened? Don't you remember anything?" He barked. Tatsuki struggled to be free, but this bastard was stronger than the last time she had fought him…

He swept her from the bed and pressed her close. "Tatsuki. This is all a big joke, right?" He whispered. Tatsuki growled and dug her teeth into his shoulder.

"YYEEEOOOOOOWWWWW!" Renji yelled.

Tatsuki let go and pulled the blanket from under Renji. She wrapped it around her and fled through the bedroom door and down the stairs. Then, she saw it.

There it was. On top of the big-screen T.V., there was a picture frame, holding a picture. In the photo, Renji was in a tuxedo, holding her bridal-style. Tatsuki, in the photo, wore a crimson dress. Her hair was a bit longer. And she did, indeed, look older. She dropped the blanket and stumbled towards the T.V. She snatched the frame from the top of it and took in everything from the photo. The ring, the dress, her…smiling…

Everything Abarai Renji had told her was true. She _was_ married to him.


	3. A Promise Made

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

Tatsuki turned around. Renji was behind her in gray sweatpants. He ruffled his hair and gazed at her, the bite mark red on his shoulder. Tatsuki pulled the blanket over her and sat down on the tan leather sofa. Renji cautiously sat down a few inches away from her so he wouldn't be bitten, again.

"H-how long have we been married?"

"…2 months…"

"…Did we ever…do-"

"No. Don't worry…"

"What about the others? What happened to them?"

"Orihime and Ichigo are engaged, surprisingly. Ishida is on a business trip. Rukia…she's back in Soul Society. And in Soul Society, a lot of things happened. Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-fukutaicho are dating. Gin and Aizen are no more. Everything seems to be a lot happier in Soul Society."

"That's the place the spirits live in, right?"

"Yeah. I took you there, once…"

"You did?"

"Yeah. You were excited to meet everyone and see everything. I proposed to you, there…"

"Oh… A-Abarai… I'm sorry… I can't really remember much. I only remember kicking that stupid tin can and it hit me in the head, or something… And then I woke up."

"…That's…okay. I'm sure there is something I can do to help you remember…"

"I forgot to mention that Kuukaku-sama and Yoruichi are fighting over Urahara."

"Huh?"

"You looked up to Kuukaku-sama… And you met both Yoruichi-sama and Urahara a while back. Urahara still doesn't seem to be able to say anything about the matter. The three of them were childhood friends."

"…Ah…"

"…Do you have any photos or anything? Maybe that can help me remember. I can't understand what happened… It's like I traveled 10 years into the future. I know this may sound strange to you, but anything can happen, right?"

"…Yeah."

"I remember the times you would try to pull pranks and stuff on me. That one time I went into the classroom, a bucket of water fell all over me. I was humiliated and my shirt was white, too… And even though it was your prank, you wrapped your jacket around me. I beat you up bad and you apologized… Your face was really red, that whole time."

Renji laughed. Tatsuki joined him. She blushed and there was a moment of silence between the two.

"To tell you the truth, I really liked you and I wanted to see you blush or get angry…or…anything, really… But that one day, I didn't want the guys to stare at you all day…" Renji admitted, clearing his throat and turning the other way.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and smirked.

"You liked me that much?" She teased. Renji glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "...We were alike. We were both determined to protect the people we cared about. And…we might have gotten into a lot of fights…" Renji said. Facing her, he smiled. "Yeah. I liked you that much." He answered. "And I'm gonna help you get your memory back." He promised.

Tatsuki nodded.


	4. Let the teasing begin!

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

Tatsuki stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She was surprised… She had changed so much. Her hair was similar to Shiba Kuukaku-sama's. Her eyes were still the color of ink pools. Her skin was a bit paler and she was an inch or two taller. She flopped onto the bed.

What was going on? Did she really travel into the future? Or did she just forget things… She felt for the bruise on her head. Strangely, it wasn't there. What the hell was going on?

Tatsuki wanted to hide somewhere. Maybe under the bed or inside the blanket… She wanted to conceal herself and never come out. Ever. She couldn't handle the things that were happening to her. She shook her head and yelled. She yelled at the top of her lungs. She lashed her voice out into the air surrounding her, taking out her frustration and confusion on it. She heard footsteps echoing a short distance away. Renji rushed in, eyes widened.

"Tatsuki! Are you okay?"

"…Yeah…"

She gasped for air. She hated it when someone knew something she didn't, or when she was confused and things wouldn't make sense to her.

"Damn it! You scared the hell out of me!"

"I'm married to YOU. Deal with it."

Renji smirked. It had been a while since Tatsuki threw an attitude at him. He laughed. Tatsuki glared at him.

"You think it's funny? You think it's funny that I wake up one day and find out that I'm married to you?"

"I never said that."

"Then stop laughing to yourself and shut the hell up!"

Was it that time of the month for her? Her words stung him. It had been a while since he felt the sting of her sharp tongue. It was hard to understand women. They were one of the greatest mysteries in the world.

He sat down next to her.

"Aww. Tatsi-chan is pissed off!" He teased.

"What did you just say?" She whispered, eyes glimmering with an angry fire.

"Tatsi-chan isn't feeling happy. Tatsi-chan needs anger management lessons." He continued. He loved the reactions he got from her. He loved it when she turned a beet red, or when she exploded like a time bomb.

She was _this_ close to slapping him across the face and leaving him a burning, red mark, but he knew better. He grabbed her moving arm by the wrist and he pinned her other wrist against his knee. Giving her a lop-sided grin, he pressed his lips against hers. She was caught by surprise. For once in her life, she was vulnerable. And she could do nothing about it, unless she remembered what had happened in the past.

She was blushing and her chest was heaving. He smiled. "I hope you didn't forget everything. Especially not the time you first kissed me." He said.

"What? _I_ kissed _you_? When?"

"You'll remember. I was surprised, too. I never thought you would be the one to do it."

"…Impossible. This is another damn joke."

"Nope. Not this time. Sorry, Tatsuki. If it makes you feel any better, you were a good kisser."

Tatsuki yelled and smacked Renji with a pillow. How bold! TOO bold!


	5. Because I Cared

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

She twisted and turned in her sleep. Was it a memory? Or was it a dream?

**Dreaming…**

"Get your damned hands off of Orihime!" Tatsuki yelled. Whatever she yelled at, it was one of those Hollow things.

"_How amusing! A human wishes to play with us!" _The Arrancar said, mocking her.

"Tatsuki, run!" Ichigo said. He had managed to kill one of them, but he was wounded. Blood dripped down the side of his head.

She was confused. What was going on? She could see those human-like things, but she knew they weren't human. Ichigo wasn't human, it seemed. He was wearing a very weird uniform…like he was going to take kendo or something. Orihime wore her school clothes. Ishida wore something strange, as well. Chad wore his regular clothes and some gigantic arm thing.

"I said, get your hands off of Orihime!" She yelled, eyes sparkling with a fiery glint.

"Just get the hell out of here, Tatsuki!" Ichigo yelled.

"Tatsuki-chan, please. Just go!" Orihime grunted. The Arrancar smirked and watched Tatsuki, tightening his grip on Orihime's neck. Orihime cried out in pain, and Tatsuki yelled, furious.

"Please, leave, Arisawa-san." Ishida said.

Everyone kept on telling her to leave. But they knew she wouldn't. They knew she wouldn't leave her friends, her classmates, to fight their battles alone.

She headed straight for the Arrancar holding Orihime, fist clenched. She kicked and threw a punch at the immortal being, but she missed. He dropped the weary Orihime on the ground. He wrapped his fingers around her neck, squeezing her…choking her.

"TATSUKI!" Ichigo yelled. He had made a terrible mistake. He had attracted her attention to the battle. He should never have told her about it, about them. How could he be so stupid?

The pain was just as great as when she was with Orihime in her apartment bedroom, being attacked by Hollows. She felt like her head was going to explode. The pressure on her neck was unbearable.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" A familiar voice commanded.

She was dropped onto the ground. She saw a blur of red and then she passed out.

**The dream ends…**

She woke up from her dream…or her memory. Her sweat clung onto the blanket. It was dark outside. She panted, eyes widened. Her head hurt. The memory spun around in her brain like a video on rewind or fast-forward. Renji had been awake, long before she had. He had watched over her during her sleep. Her whimpers and the squinting of her closed eyes… He couldn't sleep without being worried.

Tatsuki pulled Renji towards her, guiding his head onto her shoulder.

"It was you. You saved me from it. You saved me… Why didn't you tell me? Orihime, Ichigo, Chad, Ishida… They never told me anything. _You_ never told me anything. Why did you save me? Why did you keep this from me?

A small, sad smile was plastered onto Renji's face. That night, he fought for the person he cared about. That night, he didn't fight as a Shinigami with a duty. He fought as a man who wanted to keep from losing the person he cared the most about.

He skimmed his hand over her back, gently. Her tense body relaxed.

"Because… I cared." He whispered.


	6. Let's Go to Soul Society!

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

**Note: **Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Please keep sending reviews! I appreciate them. Mild criticism is welcome.

"You know how I told you that we visited Soul Society, once?" Renji asked.

"Yeah. But…how did I manage to get there? Soul Society can only be entered by dead people."

"Exactly. You weren't dead that time. You were in a deep, intense coma for a while. Somehow, your soul was separated from your body and I managed to take you to Soul Society."

"Ah… Will I ever be able to visit Soul Society?"

"Maybe."

Renji grinned, mischievously.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't you dare think about killing me, Abarai punk!" Tatsuki warned.

"It's _Mr._ Abarai to you, _Mrs._ Abarai!" He retorted.

"You probably gave me too much sake the day you proposed to me."

"Now why would I do _that_?"

It was a beautiful morning. The birds chirped outside and the sunlight made dapples on the ground from the space the leaves provided.

"Urahara-sama invented a new gadget that allows living beings to enter Soul Society, but it can be used only once. He only made a few copies, but he gave me one as a wedding gift."

Tatsuki's eyes widened. A trip to Soul Society would be nice… Just to see everyone again…

Renji smiled. "Get ready. We're going today." He declared.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

Tatsuki smiled and laughed. It would be cool to see everyone, again. She had one of her dreams and that's how she remembered the trip to Soul Society. The very day Renji had proposed to her… She blushed at the thought and decided to prepare.

**Later…**

Tatsuki wore the black uniform that Renji gave her.

"It's been in the closet for 3 months. Besides, you should wear it so you blend in."

She grumbled and snatched it from him.

Renji took her hand and put a small pill on the palm of it.

"It's different from the ones Ichigo use. It's for those who aren't Shinigami."

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow and looked at him, puzzled. "So…I swallow it?" She asked. "That' what you do with a pill." He answered. "Don't get smart with me." She snapped. Renji smirked. Girls and their emotions…

After swallowing the strange pill (which tasted like ramen for some reason), her body was sprawled out on the floor. Her soul had been separated from her body.

"We can only stay for 3 hours in Soul Society, because the pill has limits. Urahara's working on it." Renji said.

"That's enough time to see everybody and go." She said, grinning.

Renji gazed at her. She was never a very optimistic person, and she wasn't negative, either. She had always been and is Tatsuki. He loved that about her. She wouldn't change if you told her to. She wouldn't change if you tried to force her to. She was one of the most consistent people he met, and he respected that.

Tatsuki looked at him. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" She asked. Renji blinked and smiled a moment later. "No. You look great." He answered. "Are you drunk? Sober up." She said. He knew she wasn't used to compliments.

**Let's go to Soul Society…**


	7. On the Way

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

**Note: **Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Please keep sending reviews! I appreciate them. Mild criticism is welcome.

Tatsuki squatted and grabbed tufts of her hair. Her head hurt like hell. It hurt like it was about to split. Then, she began to remember something…

**Flashback…**

She staggered on the bridge over the river. People passed by. She bumped into them without a care. The sky was streaked with bright hues. The sun had an orange glow and was about to set. She had been depressed the whole day…

Tatsuki lost the person she loved the most. She lost the very person she had cared the most about. They would do everything together. He was honest, caring, and he understood her as if he knew her inside out. But she had lost him. He had been taken away from her, just like that. Some bastard didn't look where he was going and rammed her "big brother" with a car.

A tear slid down her cheek.

"No, bitch… Don't cry…" She whispered to herself.

Tatsuki was never one to cry. She was strong. She was independent. She didn't lean on anyone and she didn't want to. But she had lost the one person that understood her. Sure. She had caused big trouble, once in a while. But he cared and knew why. She kept things from Orihime. She didn't want Orihime to know what she was going through, because Tatsuki just wasn't the kind of person to burden her best friend with her troubles.

She placed her hands on the concrete railing and looked at over it. Her reflection wavered as the wind stirred the water below. A tear dropped and broke the surface of the tranquil river, making a ripple that lasted for what seemed like an eternity and faded away.

That was life. It seemed to last forever, but it was taken away from you when you least suspected it. She smirked. So this was the game life played. It stays a friend for a while and then it betrays you. It leaves you. Forever.

Her body quivered, her hands made into fists at her sides. Her head was down. She was given something to respect and love, and then it was suddenly taken away from her, like a brother taking a lollipop from his baby sister.

She sobbed. No. She couldn't be this weak. Suck it up Tatsuki! Hold it in. Hold it in… Maybe…maybe she could end it here and meet him, again. She relaxed her fists and looked over the bridge. Her eyes were like pools of melted coal. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. She bent over, ready to feel the plunge into the great river. Out of nowhere, she felt arms wrap around her waist.

"Let me go…" She whispered.

There was no answer.

"Let me go. LET ME GO!" She yelled, struggling to get away. Who was it?

"No. I won't. I won't let you go." A recognizable voice replied.

She was spun around. Tatsuki faced him-Abarai Renji.

"What the hell do you care? You hate me, like Ichigo. Just get the hell away from me and let me die." She whispered, a glint of anger in her eyes.

"I can't let you." Renji said. He pulled her close, pressing her against his chest, his hand against the back of her head.

"Get away. Why are you doing this? You want to let me live so you can make me feel like shit, huh? I can't let you do that!" Tatsuki yelled. She tried to push him away. But she knew he was stronger. After all of those matches she lost against him, she definitely knew he was stronger.

"All those bad things I said about you or said to you… I didn't mean it. I don't want you to die. I want you to live. I care. I CARE, ARISAWA TATSUKI! Because I love you."

Tatsuki shed more tears. He was lying. He was lying-she knew it.

"Don't fuck with me, you bastard." She said through gritted teeth.

He pulled her head closer to his and pressed his lips against hers. She froze, as stiff as a board. The kiss began rough and rocky, but it became gentle and meaningful. Tatsuki's eyes widened.

"_He meant it…"_ She thought.

**End of flashback…**

She managed to stand up. After a short while, the pain was gone.

"Are you all right, Tatsuki?" Renji asked her, concern in his deep voice.

She grinned.

"Yeah." She replied.

"_Because of you, I'm all right. And I always will be, as long as you're here."_

The thought ran through her head. She smiled to herself.

"Come on. We're almost in Soul Society." Renji declared, a grin on his face.


	8. The Boy, the Girl, and the Rainy Day

**10 Years Later**

**Characters: **TatsukixRenji, and a few other characters…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

**Rating: **T-for occasional swearing and teenage stuff.

**Note: **Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Please keep sending reviews! I appreciate them. Mild criticism is welcome.

In 10 years, a lot had changed.

"You drunk yet, Rangiku?"

"Not yet."

The two busty women drank bottles after bottles of sake. Rangiku knew that Kuukaku was her most worthy opponent, yet. Hey, after years of drinking more then a man could, did you think she had competition? Now she did.

"Hahaha. You'll pass out after this cup."

"Not a chance."

The two went on, their cheeks rosy red and their head spinning around.

Tatsuki laughed as both of their heads fell onto the table. She marveled at how many bottles of sake they had managed to run down their throats.

Hitsugaya and Momo seemed to be married. They argued about matters like a newlywed couple. She chuckled to herself. Tatsuki felt so happy to see everyone, again.

Tatsuki had seen Rukia, as well. She had become the 13 Division's fukutaicho. She was perfect for the role.

Ikkaku still sneaked peeks at Nemu. Mayuri was still mad. Kenpachi was still…well…Kenpachi. Yachiru had grown a lot, but she was still her cheerful self. Byakuya was always appearing when Unohana was on the scene.

Many people greeted Tatsuki, even some whom she didn't recognize. But nevertheless, she was glad. Renji had gone off to exchange a few words with his taicho and was soon by her side, again.

"So many things have changed, right?"

"Yeah… Renji? Why can't I remember?"

He looked at her.

"I'm sure it's just a temporary phase… Tatsuki…"

"Huh?"

"I've got to tell you something…"

"What?"

"A few months ago, you were carried to the hospital with injuries all over your body. A young girl said that you saved her from some thugs, but you passed out on the way. It looked like you were beaten up pretty bad, especially your head. I was there, but you kept on murmuring something about a tin can after you woke up from your coma. You seemed to have amnesia, but the doctor mentioned that you might gain some of your memory back. Until then, he told me not to be surprised if you didn't even recognize me."

Tatsuki took this all in.

"So that's why I can't remember… But Renji, I remember a few things. I remember the time you saved me from those Hollows and the time you stopped me on the bridge."

Renji smiled, sadly.

Tatsuki frowned.

"Don't give me that expression. I'm not dead."

He drew her close.

"I just hope you can remember more, soon."

Tatsuki stood still. She looked up at him. He gazed into her black eyes.

She grinned.

"Don't worry about me, Renji. I'm all right. I always have been."

He put a hand on her spiky hair and gave her a small, lop-sided smile.

Once they were back home, it was quite night. She was in her human body, lying on the bed, listening to the slow and steady breathing of her husband. She nibbled on her lip, gazing at the ceiling of the bedroom. She had remembered one more thing.

**The memory…**

It was a rainy day, outside. The drops of rain rolled down the windowpane. Tatsuki looked out. She was 13, then. The street was empty, pretty much. There was not much to do and she wasn't allowed to venture outside. Her head rested on the palm of her hand. She was bored, never one to stay inside without being restless. She groaned. She hated the rain. Then, she caught sight of something. At first, it was blurry. But then she saw it. Bright red hair, black clothes, and a strange sword. The rain matted the strange boy's hair. He seemed to be her age. But what was he doing, fighting some strange creature with clothes that seemed to be back from the feudal era of Japan? Her eyes widened. The boy seemed to stand there, gazing at her. His pupils were quite small. He seemed to be confused. His expression clearly stated, _"Can you really see me?"_ She reached out and yelled as the creature's claws tore at the boy's shoulder, darkening his black clothes. The boy glanced at her one more time before he vanished, along with the ugly creature.

Tatsuki shrugged it off. Maybe she just needed a slice of apple pie. She was almost 100 sure that the boy she had seen was just a part of her imagination.

**The memory ends…**

Tatsuki smiled to herself. Her eyes closed as she fell asleep.


	9. Friendly Reunion

**Chapter 9: A Friendly Reunion**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, OrihimeIchigo

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **Renji and Tatsuki have a guest! Inoue takes Tatsuki shopping and Ichigo and Renji have a chat over coffee. Looks like the most of the old friends are reunited!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thanks for all the reviews! Keep reviewing! And, as many of you have advised, I will try to make the chapters longer. This chapter isn't too exciting, though.

_Ding-dong!_

"Renji! Get the door!"

"Whhhhhyyyy?"

"Because I'm washing the dishes, pea-brain!"

Renji groaned and got up. He had been resting on the couch, a pillow over his face. He glanced at Tatsuki, who was washing the dishes. Grinning, he headed towards the door. He looked through the glass hole, grin becoming wider when he saw whom it was. Or rather, who_ they _were. He opened the door.

"Ah, Ichigo! Hey, Inoue!"

Tatsuki's head quickly turned itself towards them. Mouth open, she stopped what she was doing, water still running.

"Tatsuki-chan! Renji-kun!"

Orihime never got tired of addressing them that way.

"Oi, Tatsuki and Renji."

Ichigo was still his scowling old self.

Except he was going to become a father.

Tatsuki turned off the water, pulling her rubber gloves off and rushing over to hug Orihime and Ichigo. It was a little difficult to hug Orihime with her expanded belly, but it wasn't an impossible thing to do. Tatsuki smiled.

"Ha. Ichigo, you becoming a father?"

Tatsuki laughed and grinned.

Ichigo glared at her, but he had a glint of something in his eyes. Maybe it was determination to become a good father? Whatever it was, it wasn't hatred or anything negative.

Orihime smiled.

"It's a boy. We got the baby checked."

Tatsuki chuckled.

"Maybe he'll have that scowl that Ichigo has. He'll probably have orange hair."

Orihime nodded and laughed, her voice merry and soft.

Her hair was tied into a braid, her light blue hairclips still clinging onto two long strands of orange hair. She was still herself. Orihime did not change in a negative way. Neither of them did. At this, Tatsuki smiled, secretly sighing in relief.

Although 10 years had gone by, these two hadn't changed a lot.

Renji smirked.

"He'll probably be an orange-haired punk like his father!"

Ichigo glared at Renji. Renji shut up, but he kept his smirk on.

Orihime pulled gently on Tatsuki's arm.

"Tatsuki-chan, let's go shopping!"

Tatsuki smiled and nodded.

"I'll get dressed!"

Ichigo gently guided Orihime to a seat and sat down next to Renji. "Are you sure you're going to be all right, Orihime?" Ichigo asked, concerned. He had a trace of worry in his eyes. She nodded and smiled. "I'll be fine, Ichigo-kun. I'll definitely be fine with Tatsuki-chan with me." She assured.

Before, she had called him Kurosaki-kun. Now, she called him by his first name. Ichigo didn't mind. They were married and close enough to call each other whatever they wanted. Renji had had called Tatsuki 'Arisawa' before they got close enough. He knew how it felt to suddenly call someone something else. It was a small change that was noticeable and significant.

Tatsuki was back, dressed in simple apparel. She wore a denim jacket over a crimson red shirt, as well as a pair of jeans and flip-flops.

Tatsuki helped Orihime to the door, Orihime brushing her lips over Ichigo's cheek, and Tatsuki waving to Renji.

Renji knew Tatsuki wasn't one for cuddles or kisses. It took time to let her become more open and not so clammed up, but he thought it was worth it, anyway.

The door clicked as it shut. The two women went off towards the shops.

Ichigo turned to Renji.

"How is Tatsuki?"

"She's fine. Doing better. She remembers some things."

"That's good… It hasn't been that long, really."

"Yeah… She's…changed…in a way…"

"How?"

"She doesn't blow her top over little things, anymore."

Renji and Ichigo smiled.

**Shopping…**

Orihime smiled ear to ear as she walked alongside her best friend, shopping for this and that.

Tatsuki didn't mind shopping. She needed new clothes, anyway. Strangely, she found that the clothes in the bedroom closet were from a decade ago. She even had her old school uniform.

Tatsuki eyed the stores from left to right, then right to left. There were so many selections to make! The stores sold many different shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, and shoes. There was basically everything a girl could wear. Tatsuki glanced at Orihime's stomach.

"How long has it been?"

"Mm? Oh…it's almost time."

"Are you excited, Orihime?"

"Of course, Tatsuki-chan. You should have a child, too, with Renji-kun."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, her cheeks turning red.

"I thought Shinigami couldn't have children."

Orihime looked at Tatsuki and smiled.

"There's a way."

A few seconds later…

"You used to hate shopping, Tatsuki-chan."

"Yeah…but…seeing that most of my clothes are very old…"

"Ah."

Orihime grinned. She didn't know what had exactly happened, but Tatsuki seemed a littler more…mellow…or a little more gentle. She was still a fireball, but not as out-of-control as she had been.


	10. Providence

**Chapter 10: Providence**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **A warm memory is reborn in Tatsuki's mind. Tatsuki the not-so-prone to illness has caught the common cold. It's rainy, miserable, and cold.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews! I know it's been a while until I posted up Chapter 9, so I'll make it up to you in later chapters.

_Memories are remnants of the past…_

She remembered that her cousin used to wrap a quilt around her when she was younger, handing her a cup of hot chocolate, miniature marshmallows floating around in the pleasantly brown liquid-reminding her of autumn days and the crisp sound of dried leaves trampled upon by the feet of strangers. She herself had loved walking over the leaves on purpose.

Her cousin had told her to, "Toughen up. Recover and continue fighting, little soldier."

Tatsuki missed those days. The nostalgia crept up to her, haunting her with the memories of her past-the comforting days, the hard days, the pleasant mornings. She missed it all.

_Shards of broken glass-every piece a different story._

Her head was clogged with heat and numbness. Her body felt hot, then cold, then warm, and then the heat left her behind. Her nose was stuffed, her throat sore. She tried to keep silent the whole day, so the scratching of her voice against the sides of her throat wouldn't hurt as much. Her body hurt if even a slight poke touched her skin. She felt weak and tired. She wished for those days that her cousin would take care of her, wrapping her in his colorful, but tattered quilt.

During class, her head rested on her folded arms. She was drowsy, but she tried to fight her heavy eyelids. She tried to be alert, to keep her eyes open. Just in case Abarai tried to catch her off guard. Orihime had asked her if she was ill. Tatsuki had just replied with a curt, "I'm fine." Her fever was slowly increasing in heat.

Limp, she walked with a slight stagger towards the door. She didn't pay attention in class the whole time.

"Oi! Arisawa!"

That _annoying_ voice! She could hear it from a mile away, sick or well.

Her head automatically turned to look at him, giving him a weak glare.

"Aren't you gonna try to beat me up or something?"

"No. Shut the hell up and leave me alone."

"What. You think you're too good for me?"

Her mouth opened just a little bit. She wanted to scream at him, but a small, frustrated sigh escaped instead. She bit her lip and just walked out the door. Renji stared at her back, amazed. He was kind of hoping for her to attempt something…maybe even a punch in the arm… But today, she didn't. He knew something was wrong with her.

School was done. That was that. But it was unlike Tatsuki to not pay attention, to look elsewhere, to put her head down and doze off during class. He had to follow her. He didn't know why. He knew whatever she did and whatever was wrong with her wasn't his problem or his business, but his curiosity got the best of him.

Tatsuki was outside, leaning against the wall. _"Damn. I forgot an umbrella."_ She muttered inside her head. It was raining. Chilly breezes touched her with cold hands. She hugged herself. She couldn't run. She was too weak. She could just walk in the rain… It didn't really matter if she died from a cold or not. She was sick already, and it hadn't exactly been a good day for her.

Tatsuki took a step away from the shelter of the school building. She took feeble steps in the rain, her clothes absorbing the water like a baby drinking its milk. Soon enough, the shivering began and her teeth started to click against each other. Her hair was soaked, an inch or two below her chin because of the rain. Her cheeks were red, her forehead burning. But she felt cold. She felt cold in and out. She blinked the water out of her eyes. She couldn't see very well. Her white shirt was now basically see-through, the outline of her bra clearly visible. She wrapped her arms around herself. Her clothes seemed to be drooping.

Renji finally found her, walking in the streets. She was almost a speck, but he could still tell her apart from anyone else. What was she doing in the rain? She could catch a cold. Why the hell did he care, anyway? He shrugged, mentally, and he rushed towards her, jacket in hand.

Tatsuki was now blinded, water drops rolling down her cheeks, mingling with her own salty tears. She didn't know why, but she felt so weak, so helpless. She felt like she needed to let the monster out now, so it could be free. Free and away from her. She dropped to her knees, chest heaving, sobbing. She didn't know why and what the reason was for crying, but she didn't stop. It felt…_good._ It felt good to cry. It felt good to show her weak side, for once. But she didn't know anyone was watching. She didn't care.

Renji stooped down beside her.

"Oi…Arisawa…" He said, softly. It was almost a whisper.

She looked up at him, wiping her tears with her wet hand. Like it did any good…

"Let's go. Home."

He scooped her up, wrapping his wet jacket around her. Just like her cousin had done when she was sick with the cold or the flu. She closed her eyes, shutting the world out. She didn't care. She didn't mind. She just felt safe, again.

_Stories of love, stories of warmth. Stories always to be cherished. Always to be remembered._


	11. Jealousy

**Chapter 11: Jealousy**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, Ichigo

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **This story is another one of Tatsuki's memories. Renji saw Tatsuki walking home and decided to follow her. He sees Tatsuki talking to a sullen Ichigo and sees them hugging each other. You can guess what happens next.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter. And yes, my other story (Tears of a Man) is woven into this chapter. Suggestions, advice, encouragement, praise, and etc. are appreciated! I'll work hard to make the chapter longer so you guys will be just a bit happier, if not satisfied.

It was another pleasantly warm afternoon. The sun was about to set, just beyond the buildings. Tatsuki had been grumpy the whole day. She had forgotten her lunch at home and had come to school lunch-less. Her stomach had been growling, and now she was walking home with an empty tummy.

Renji had heard her complaining about not having any food. But she wouldn't take the food Orihime or her other friends offered her. He heard her say things like, "Don't mind me complaining. It was my fault." and "No. I shouldn't take your food." He decided to save his lunch and just give it to her after school. Renji wasn't one to resist hunger, but he did it today. He didn't know why, but he did.

He turned the corner and stopped. He quickly hid behind the outer walls of a random house, leaning enough to see Ichigo and Tatsuki. But he didn't want to be caught.

Ichigo seemed to be _crying._ And Tatsuki had a frustrated expression plastered onto her face. Then Ichigo pulled her close, leaning on her. Renji felt something in his chest. It hurt and made his mouth dry. He had felt it before. When that damn Ichigo took Rukia away from him. Now he was taking Tatsuki.

Renji saw her face. Tatsuki's eyes went wide, supporting Ichigo. Ichigo closed his eyes. They held on to each other for the next few minutes. Then Ichigo said something to Tatsuki who nodded her head. He slowly departed, going home.

Renji was bitter. Jealousy had swallowed him up. Why did he even hope? Somewhere in his mind, he already knew this was going to happen. He was going to have something wanted taken from him. He dropped his lunchbox and ran in the opposite direction-away from Tatsuki. He didn't want to hear her name or see her ever again.

Tatsuki sighed. She didn't know if Ichigo opening up to her would draw them any closer together, but she knew he still remembered the times they spent together as childhood friends.

She began to walk towards her home, away from the place that Ichigo had been moments before. She saw something on the ground. She rushed over to find out what it was. Whatever it was, it was wrapped in white silk cloth. She opened it up and found a note.

"_Uh… I heard you complaining about being hungry, so I thought you would want something to eat. Just eat this and give me the box back at school tomorrow. Uh… Yeah." _

_Abarai_

Tatsuki frowned. What was his lunchbox doing here? She smiled after reading the note again, and then she carried the lunchbox back home.

**The next day…**

Renji was bitter inside. His expression told everyone that he wasn't in a very good mood.

"Oi, Renji."

He looked up. It was that bastard, Ichigo.

"Fuck off."

"What? What's _your_ problem?"

Renji snorted.

"You don't have anything else to take from me. So fuck off."

Ichigo's eyebrows were knit in agitation. What was the problem with this guy? Ichigo knew he hadn't done anything to upset. He also knew not to say anything else or irritate Renji. Ichigo began his walk towards the school building.

Tatsuki didn't see him outside. She had filled Renji's lunchbox up with food she cooked earlier. She also taped a note onto the top of the box and wrapped it up in the cloth she had found it in, yesterday. Tatsuki didn't want to admit it, but she had enjoyed the food.

Since she didn't see him outside, she just decided to find him and give it back to him later.

**Lunchtime…**

Tatsuki rushed outside. She saw the usual gathering of her friends under the shady tree, but she needed to find Renji, first. He wasn't hard to find, with his extraordinarily tall height and his flaming red hair. She walked towards him. He seemed a bit pissed off during class…

"Abarai!"

He turned around.

"…You."

Tatsuki grinned.

"I just wanted to say… Thanks. For the lunch."

He assumed that she had found it on the floor.

"Ah…here. I packed you lunch…to return the favor."

She walked closer to him and held the sack up.

A low growl formed in Renji's throat. He knocked the lunchbox out of her hands. She was alarmed.

"I don't need your thanks."

Tatsuki's face hardened into an expression of mixed emotions: confusion, hurt, anger.

"Oh… Uh…sorry."

Her voice was barely a whisper. She turned her heel and ran as fast as she could, away from that…that Abarai. She bit her tongue. She didn't know why her eyes were starting to fill with tears, but she held them in. She didn't want to cry. Ever since he had come, she started to get these new feelings and she did stupid things. She never thought she would cry over what a guy said or did to her.

Abarai felt a slight pang of guilt from his chest. Damn. This gigai was a useful invention, but it was useless when dealing with negative emotions. He crouched down and picked the fallen lunchbox up. He tugged on the knotted part of the cloth and pulled it off. He found a note on the box.

"_Thanks for the lunch, yesterday. I wanted to thank you, so I decided to cook something up. Geez, You eat a lot. Yeah. I've seen you eat, Renji."_

_Arisawa Tatsuki_

Renji smirked. She called him by his first name. Then his past actions swerved around and shoved his guilt up his ass. Man. Why did he have to ruin everything?

**After school…**

Renji saw her walking home, again. Déjà vu. He rushed towards her. She seemed absent-minded, because she didn't turn around. His footsteps were clearly audible. He wrapped an arm around her from behind. He had to bend down a little, though.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

She recognized that voice. Anywhere, anytime, she would know who it was.

"I'm sorry, Arisawa…I'm sorry. Tatsuki…."

Her name sounded so foreign, coming from his mouth. But she knew she liked it better when she said her first name.


	12. The Stray Dog

**Chapter 12: The Stray Dog**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **This is another memory of Tatsuki. While at the school carnival, Renji visits the fortune-telling carnival gypsy. When she tells him what's in his future ("_A carrot will fall from the sky and a rabbit will give you an atomic butt needle with it."_), he yells at the gypsy, telling her that she's a rip-off. Little does he know that the gypsy isn't a complete charlatan…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews! Tatsuki wears her ring on her right hand, because she just decided to switch it to her that hand. Go figure. Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk. Tatsuki also presumed that Renji's clothes were from the feudal era of Japan, because the Tatsuki in my story doesn't really enjoy history. Black can't get blacker when wet. I admit, I made a mistake there… Thanks again, and please continue with the reviews!!

_**Let's begin the story…**_

After hearing his ridiculous fortune (spending a good bit of money on it), he insulted the gypsy with various words and a good five minutes of yelling. The gypsy looked at him incredulously, her expression soon twisting into one of anger and annoyance.

"How dare you mock my fortune-telling skills, you red-headed punk!"

"A WHAT?"

"Fine. You get your just desert starting today. I will put a curse on you. It's a good thing that you didn't really anger me enough today. Because your consequence would be worse if you did."

Renji sniggered. What was this fake gypsy wannabe trying to tell him?

"You will turn into a dog. The curse will not be lifted until a few hours of your transformation has been filled. I hope you get run over by a car or some big-ass truck."

Renji snorted. What the hell was she talking about? He had a smirk on his face, his eyes clearly reflecting, "_I'd like to see you try._"

Suddenly, the room turned dark and a creepy crimson light illuminated the gypsy's olive skin. Her eyes were closed for a few seconds. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes. Renji gasped, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face. Her eyes were completely white! She began to chant in a low growl. The words weren't audible, let alone recognizable. Renji tried to run, but he was bound to one spot by some intangible force.

The room lightened and the gypsy's eyes were now back to their normal serpentine green shade. She jeered at him. "Now leave, punk!"

Renji exited her creepy gypsy-style tent and rolled his eyes. He felt no different until he began to shrink. He felt himself getting shorter, his clothes flopping onto the ground around his feet. _"What the…"_ He thought. What was happening? At eye level, he only saw feet from far away. Good thing he was in the dark and no one saw him. Good thing he wasn't wearing any clothes that he particularly liked…

He just sat there, wondering about what had just happened. Then he decided to approach the illuminated part of the carnival streets. He looked at his hands, alarmed to find them furry. In fact, he couldn't really call them hands anymore. They were paws. Then he remembered that the gypsy had told him that she would turn him into a dog. He groaned. What was he going to do about school?

A familiar figure approached him. Arisawa Tatsuki?

She looked at him for a moment. There was definitely something human about that dog… She crouched down, a bit of distance between her and the dog.

"Hmm… What if this dog has rabies?"

Renji rolled his eyes mentally. What would a dog do? Oh yeah.

He slowly approached her, looking up at Tatsuki with the most pathetic, adorable, sad look he could possibly make, his eyes telling her, _"Won't you take me home? I'm irresistible. I'll be good. Just freaking take me somewhere warm, dammit!"_

Tatsuki sighed. The dog was shivering. What would a good person do? Leave the dog and let it be road kill? Or take it home, risking the chance of being bitten and getting rabies?

Well. The dog wasn't foaming around its mouth…

Tatsuki drew closer to the dog. Actually, it was quite small-possibly a puppy. Its fur was a strange shade of red and gold. She poked it in the head. It gave her a look of annoyance.

"Fine. But you better not bite me. Or it's out to the river with you!"

Wait. Did the dog just nod? Tatsuki shook her head, slapping her cheeks. _"It's about time I go home. These carnival lights are probably making me hallucinate."_

Tatsuki gently picked the dog up and held it close to her chest, wrapping her jacket around the stray dog. If Renji was his normal self, he would've blushed, but he just made a happy canine noise.

This dog was freaking her out with everything it did. She sighed, beginning her long journey home. Scratch that. Her house wasn't _that_ far away. But she was a tired soul.

_**Back at the house…**_

Tatsuki's parents frequently left on business trips, so she had the house all to herself. She went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"I'm giving you a bath, mister."

It was easy to tell if a dog was a girl or a boy.

"Norainu."

Renji recognized that word. It meant "stray dog".

"That's your name, okay? If you don't like it, too bad. I was going to name you Ashley, so be thankful"

Renji smirked to himself.

Tatsuki bathed him, carefully avoiding his pointy ears, which were stood straight. She didn't want to get any water in them. Norainu could get an ear infection. Why was she giving a stray dog so much attention? Why did she even care?

After the bath, she dried Norainu with a towel and a hairdryer. He smelled of strawberries. Oh, joy. Strawberry-scented shampoo for a stray dog.

Tatsuki found some food suitable for a dog in her refrigerator. She didn't have dog food, but rice and some unflavored, cooked beef was okay for a dog, right? Right. She watched as Norainu wolfed down his food. She took his clean bowl (he ate every small bit of rice and meat) and put it in the kitchen sink. She returned to her room where she found Norainu sprawled out on the floor, his belly very round and bloated. Tatsuki chuckled to herself and poked Norainu's belly.

"Get up, you fat dog."

The dog opened his eyes and seemed to glare at her. Norainu's throat let a low growl out. _"Who are you calling fat?"_ He seemed to be retorting.

Tatsuki smiled. Half amused, partially freaked out. This dog that she found in the streets was no ordinary dog.

WHOA! Did Norainu just smile evilly at her?

The dog got up and looked at her with the evilest pair of eyes she had ever seen. The pupils were like black beads. Quite strange… They reminded her of someone…

Norainu lifted his leg up.

"Oh no! Not on the floor! DON'T!"

But he did. In a matter of seconds, there was a puddle of yellow stench on the wooden floor.

Tatsuki gave the dog a death glare. Norainu stared back at her with the most innocent look on his face. She sighed. She would just have to wipe the mess up…

Getting a paper towel from the kitchen, she rushed to her room and wiped the mess up, only to find Norainu struggling to get up on her bed. She sighed.

"_Damn. Damn these short legs!"_ Renji grunted as he tried to get up on Tatsuki's bed.

She picked him up, making sure that he didn't have pee on his fur… Nope. Pee-free. She put him on his bed.

"There you go, little guy."

Renji hopped onto her pillow. But it was too hard… He decided to curl up into a ball on the middle of the bed. Tatsuki laughed in her head and cleaned the mess up, discarding the icky paper towel in the nearest toilet and sending it down to wherever flushing the toilet led the waste to.

Tatsuki returned, once again, to her sanctuary-her room. She smiled when she saw the small fellow sleeping, his belly rising up and down with every little breath. She performed her nightly rituals of hygiene (washing her face, brushing her teeth, and etc.), and she slipped under the covers of her large, comfortable bed. Of course, she placed Norainu next to her, giving him some of her blanket.

She affectionately stroked his forehead with a finger. She had gotten attached to a stray dog, and it hadn't even been a day since she discovered him at the carnival. Soon enough, she had closed her eyes, her breathing pattern evening and getting deeper.

Renji drew close to the sleeping Tatsuki, cuddling next to her arm.

_**In the morning…**_

"DAAAAAAAAHHHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?"

"I can explain, Tatsuki! It was the gypsy!"

"IT WAS THE GYPSY MY ASS! AAAAAAAHHHH! GET OUT!"

Renji ended up leaving Tatsuki's house with a towel wrapped around his lower body and a very black eye. He also learned not to mock gypsies. No matter how fake they seemed to be, or how bizarre the fortunes they told.


	13. Giving Life

**Chapter 13: Giving Life**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, Ichigo, Orihime

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **The two women return from shopping and Orihime is taken to the hospital in a matter of moments. The baby is to be born!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews! If you wanted to know what the gypsy said to Renji, please read the summary of that chapter. This chapter will be a little short… And whatever "new inventions" by Urahara I mention in the story aren't real. They're all just figments of my creativity and imagination.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

Tatsuki was worried about Orihime. She heard yelps and long shouts of pain from the hospital room that Orihime, a doctor, and a few nurses were in. But Tatsuki knew she wasn't as worried as Ichigo, who was sitting beside Orihime, having his hand squeezed so hard he felt like his circulation would cut off.

Renji stood beside Tatsuki, a look of utter calm passing over his face. He was a bit worried inside, but he was, for the most part, calm and collected.

"Did you remember anything else, Tatsuki?"

"Is it really the time to be talking about that, Renji? Orihime is having her baby!"

"I know. I know completely well. But did you?"

"Yeah."

Tatsuki laughed.

"The week you turned into a dog. And I beat the shit out of you. You ran outside with a towel wrapped around your waist. Your eye was very, very black."

Renji chuckled.

"I smelled of strawberry for a long while. What a feminine smell."

Tatsuki nodded.

"I'm actually starting to remember things, now."

"That's a good sign."

Renji had known completely well that it wasn't really the right time to be laughing, but he asked her that question to relieve her tension, even if it was only for a little while that Tatsuki did not worry. Then she remembered the rainy day that she had been sick. Renji stopped laughing. Tatsuki was looking at him in a funny way.

"What?"

"Nothing."

_**A moment later…**_

One of the nurses from Orihime's hospital room approached Tatsuki and Renji.

"Excuse me, but are you Mrs. Kurosaki's friends?"

"Uh, yes. We are."

"Please come this way. The baby has been born and Mr. and Mrs. Kurosaki requested your presence."

Tatsuki and Renji nodded in unison and followed the tall nurse with the white pantyhose.

Orihime greeted them, her eyes weary and the aftermath of the strain rolling down her cheeks. Ichigo had a happy look on his face, but he was rubbing his slightly purple hand.

A nurse was holding the baby. The infant boy had a pleasant shade of orange to his hair. It wasn't neon bright, nor was it dull. It was vibrant, but it was gentle on the eyes. The baby was quiet.

"We decided to name him Kiyoshi. He was quiet after the first few moments of wailing."

Tatsuki smiled. She walked over to the nurse who was holding him.

"May I hold Kiyoshi?"

The nurse glanced at Orihime, who nodded instantly in approval.

Tatsuki gently took the baby into her arms and peered down at him. The baby opened its eyes, woken up by the switch from arm to arm. He was slightly surprised to find a different woman looking down at him. Tatsuki smiled. The baby had gray eyes the color of a cloudy sky on a rainy day.

"Hey, there. I'm Arisawa Tatsuki. Your mother's friend."

The baby smiled and sighed, softly, before closing his eyes. He didn't have Ichigo's scowl. He had Orihime's naivety in his smile, and her innocence in his soft gray eyes. Tatsuki smiled.

"Orihime. He's just like you."

Orihime laughed, softly, before closing her eyes. She had fallen asleep. Ichigo smiled.

"You guys can go if you want. I'll take care of Orihime and Kiyoshi."

Tatsuki nodded and handed the sleeping baby to his father. Ichigo had a proud look on his face. He was smiling. Tatsuki had never seen that smile before. Renji smiled through the whole event. The two left, Tatsuki glancing back one last time and seeing Ichigo stroking Orihime's hair with one hand, while holding the baby cautiously with the other arm.

_**On the way home…**_

"Tatsuki…"

"Huh?"

"Do you want a kid, too?"

Tatsuki smacked Renji.

"Gah! What was that for?"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

A child? Did she want a baby?

Tatsuki didn't know if she wanted one. One moment she felt like she did. The next moment, her face would turn a slight red. She rolled her eyes and kept quiet, driving the car.

Strange. Renji didn't know how to drive very well. If he drove with someone in the passenger seat, it would be the funeral for the passenger. Much like his nature, Renji was a very wild driver. That was why Tatsuki drove the car. It was too dangerous and risky to leave a perfectly fine car into the hands of a driver like Renji.

"While you were in your coma, Urahara invented a machine. I don't know why he invented it, but he did. It's a machine that takes a bit of your blood and mine, picks out random genes, and the baby is instantly in your stomach. The giving birth to the baby, unfortunately, is necessary."

Tatsuki blinked.

"So that's how Orihime and Ichigo-"

"No. Ichigo isn't a complete Shinigami. I'm spending my time in a gigai."

Tatsuki nodded, understanding what Renji had said.

"So Orihime just knew about the invention. She didn't use it…"

"Urahara repaired bits of the machine, but there's a small potential of a side effect."

"And that is?"

"The baby might be physically or mentally disabled. But there's only a small chance to that. Small, but that's still a percentage showing that it might happen. It can happen."

"And you are telling me this for what reason?"

"Just…in case you wanted to know…."

Renji looked at her solemnly.

Tatsuki focused on driving, but a small part of her was considering his words.


	14. A Decision Approaches

**Chapter 14: A Decision Approaches**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **Tatsuki learns more about Urahara's invention from Renji.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad that many of you liked the recent chapters. This chapter is REALLY, REALLY short because it's basically an explanation to fill in the gaps. The good things happen later.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

The dimly lit room had a certain glow drifting about in its air. Tatsuki sat on the edge of the bed, tracing the pleats and wrinkles with a finger. Renji sat next to her, not too close, but not too distant. Tatsuki seemed to be thinking about something. He didn't want to disturb her because he would most probably get a good beating. And when she was in the process of giving him a good punch in the eye, the only thing he could do was hold her down or try to talk her out of it. Most of the time, it didn't work. Renji could never dream of harming her. She was his wife. Wives were to be treated with utmost respect and tenderness…right? He couldn't exactly remember his mother or father, let alone how his father treated her, so he just had to observe other people.

"Renji…"

"Ughm…what?"

"Tell me more about Urahara's invention…"

She didn't look up at him. Their eyes didn't meet. She was still poking and gliding her finger along the blanket.

"Well… You could choose a time period for pregnancy. You could even have the baby the day after the use of the invention. Urahara-san worked on it for quite a while… He sped the pregnancy process up, but you still have your options."

Tatsuki nodded in understanding.

Renji continued. "As I said, the genes will be randomly chosen, but the children will always have a certain amount of reiatsu based on the genes chosen. So…basically…you don't know if the child will be a boy or a girl."

Tatsuki looked up at him.

"I guess if there are the pros, there are always the cons."

Renji nodded.

"Renji…"

He gazed at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you want to try it?"

Her expression was unreadable, emotionless.

"You really want to try using the machine? Are you really sure about this? I'm willing to, but only if you want to."

Renji placed his hands on her shoulders. She lifted her face and stared at the tattoos on his forehead. After a few moments of silence, she nodded.

"I'll try."


	15. Miracle Machine

**Chapter 15: Miracle Machine**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, Urahara

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **A little visit to Urahara gets interesting…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Sorry it's been a long time since the last chapter. Reviews are terribly loved and appreciated! I apologize if this one's a little short, as well.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

"Urahara-san!"

Renji and Tatsuki entered the homely shop. Urahara wrapped his arm around the both of them, his head filling the gap between Renji and Tatsuki's faces.

"Oi! Freeloader-kun, Tatsi-chan."

Renji sighed. "Why do you still call me that, Urahara-san?" Tatsuki's eyebrow twitched in agitation.

"Whatcha here, for?"

"Uh… Urahara-san… We want to use your Lovechild-Maker 1.0."

Renji cleared his throat. Tatsuki rolled her eyes. _"So _that's_ what he named it…"_ She thought. Urahara clapped his hands together. "Ah! Of course! But why don't you go through the natural process?" He asked. "That sounds more fun."

"Actually…" Renji began. Tatsuki didn't quite remember. "We…"

Tatsuki looked at Renji, raising an eyebrow. Renji gulped. And released a nervous laugh.

"Well…we _did_…do…that before…"

Tatsuki turned a few shades red, not used to openly discussing or even hinting about such things. She didn't even remember that incident, well. Renji cleared his throat again, feeling a little uncomfortable. Tatsuki, for once, didn't explode. In fact, she was quite still, her cheeks fading to a pink.

Urahara waved it off. "I guess I wouldn't try again. Looks like you're bad at it, anyway, Freeloader-kun."

Renji quivered with embarrassment and irritation, but he held it in, a low growl from his throat audible. Tatsuki smirked, even though she didn't remember very well. Urahara smiled in his sneaky little way. "Anyway, follow me." Urahara whistled something that couldn't even be called a tune. He slid a shoji door open, heading into the darkness. Tatsuki and Renji looked at each other.

"A trap door?" They asked, in unison.

Renji shrugged, and grinned. "Hold my hand. Just in case you trip or something, I'll catch you." Tatsuki blinked, secretly thinking, _"Wow… Renji has manners?"_ She took his warm hand in her cold one. She followed Renji into the darkness, shrieking as soon as she did. She felt the light sensation in her stomach of falling. Renji stifled a yell of surprise. They both landed on top of a cushion with a 'thud', Tatsuki landing on Renji's lap. Renji couldn't say, "Lose some weight." because Tatsuki was pretty light—weightless to someone with his strength.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You never learn, Freeloader-san. This is your second time falling." Urahara's voice echoed in the room.

Tatsuki pushed herself up, helping Renji get up as well. She held his hand, leading him in the darkness so he wouldn't get lost or bump into a wall and break his nose. All of a sudden, a bright light switched on, blinding Tatsuki and Renji for a few seconds.

"Behold, the Lovechild-Maker 1.0!" Urahara declared.

It was quite an invention, indeed. It was a large, green machine with two hospital beds on either side of the main body, tubes and all sorts of wires wrapping around each other on the ground.

"Make yourselves comfortable on the beds. I'll be taking a blood sample from you two." Urahara said, in his usual cheerful voice.

Tatsuki and Renji made their ways toward separate beds, lying on them. They weren't comfortable one bit, but it didn't matter. Urahara placed a large pad on Tatsuki's stomach, asking her to lift up her shirt a little before. She rolled her eyes, exposing only her belly. Then, Urahara wrapped bands around Tatsuki and Renji's wrists, inserting tubes into them. It hurt, but neither of them yelled or made loud noises.

"Draining blood samples…" Urahara murmured.

Tatsuki felt a bit dizzy. So _this_ was what blood drainage felt like… She didn't like the feeling. It felt like a part of her was being sucked out of her system. Renji didn't say anything. He laid still, eyes open. He seemed to be in deep thought.

The draining process was completed. Urahara took the blood samples that were poured into separate vials. He put them into slots, which were located on the machine. Pushing a button, the vials disappeared into the machine, which glowed with an eerie, blue light. Tatsuki felt warmth on her stomach. It wasn't painful…just warm… Her eyebrows were knit together in confusion. She blinked as the warmth gradually vanished.

"Done." Urahara announced, pulling the pad off of Tatsuki's belly. "The baby will arrive tomorrow. Don't worry if you look fat in the morning." He assured. Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Kisuke-sama." Renji grinned. "Thanks for speeding it up 8 months and…" Renji stopped, counting with his fingers. Tatsuki slapped his hand and sighed.

"Let's go, Renji."

"Ah. So long, Urahara-sama!"

Urahara waved.

And that was that.


	16. Lovechild

**Chapter 16: Lovechild**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **And the much-awaited baby arrives!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters!

**Note:** Reviews are loved, and encourages me to type stories faster, so please leave a review! I'm glad that so many of you like the story. Thank you for leaving reviews and constructive criticism. It really inspires me.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

"It's a girl." Dr. Kurosaki declared.

Beads of perspiration rolled down Tatsuki's face. Renji looked at his throbbing, purple hand. As Urahara-san had warned, Tatsuki woke up feeling heavier. She looked in the mirror, her stomach rounded like a large cannon.

Isshin handed the baby gently to Tatsuki. She peered down at her lovechild. It looked up at her with eyes like darks pools of ink. What was interesting was that the baby seemed to have flaming red hair—much like her father, as well as his bored scowl. Tatsuki laughed, very much amused.

"I'm your mom, Akane."

Akane looked up at Tatsuki with a questioning look. Renji grinned, muttering. "Brilliant red…"

Tatsuki nodded. She made a gesture, indicating that she wanted Renji to come closer. He did, nursing his hand, which was blue now. Tatsuki passed Akane into the arms of Renji. He tried his best to hold the baby. Akane looked up at him.

"_And who might you be, Man with the Interesting Face." _

Renji grinned, his finger close to the baby's mouth. She grabbed onto his finger and examined it. After a while, the baby seemed to be bored. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth relaxed into a grim line.

"Well…she's a very interesting kid."

Tatsuki laughed and nodded. She wasn't so sure if she wanted to have another baby after this. The experience hadn't been too pleasant, what with all the pain. But she loved her child, already. Even if the kid didn't seem to be the kind of baby to shriek with joy and laugh all day.

In preparation for the baby, Renji and Tatsuki had headed off to the department store to purchase a crib and a diaper changing station. They also bought diapers, two pacifiers (in case one of them disappeared), a rattle, a stuffed bear, and other necessities for infants.

Tatsuki smiled, weakly.

"Renji…take care of the baby while I sleep… Okay?"

Renji nodded.

"I'll be here."

Tatsuki's eyelids were very heavy. She didn't put up with a fight. Sleep embraced her. Soon, her breathing evened out in a deep, slow pattern. Renji sat by her side, the baby in his arms. Dr. Kurosaki was watching through the screened window, smiling.

_**Later…**_

Tatsuki gently laid the baby down into the crib after feeding her some warm milk. Tatsuki pulled a light blanket over the sleeping infant, a small smile on the new mother's face. Renji was fast asleep, tired from the day's event.

Tatsuki had received a visit from Orihime and Ichigo. They were excited to see the baby. Orihime had entered the hospital room with Kiyoshi in her arms, Ichigo's hand placed on her shoulder. Tatsuki and Renji had greeted them with tired, quiet voices. But the Kurosaki couple knew understood that the new mother and father were exhausted.

Tatsuki smiled. She turned off the lights and crawled into bed, still so very tired from giving birth to her daughter. Renji had begun to snore, quietly. Tatsuki grinned, quietly chuckling to herself. She never thought that she would marry Abarai Renji. She never thought she would have a child. But thoughts can be proven wrong.

Soon enough, Tatsuki was deeply engaged in her sleep.

_**Another memory…**_

Summer break was here! Tatsuki was relieved. But she didn't really have much to do. Most of the students were traveling to some faraway place, or going somewhere fun with friends. Tatsuki, however, had nothing planned. She admitted to herself; she envied those who were spending their summer break with fun-filled days. Tatsuki sighed, her feet in rhythm with her thoughts.

Speaking of students… She hadn't seen Abarai after school. She turned on her heels, and began jogging towards school. Maybe he was there. Why was she doing this? She didn't know. She did things like this without even thinking or noticing. She didn't care, for the most part.

Soon enough, she saw him. He was cooped up in a corner, sitting on the ground. His knees were bent up. His eyes were vacant; the lights were on but nobody was home. Tatsuki sauntered over. She didn't know why she had come back to the school grounds. Renji was a magnet of some sort.

"Abarai…"'

He glanced up for a few seconds, and then he lost himself again. Tatsuki crouched down. She observed him. He wasn't doing anything, aside from breathing and looking like he was a shell with nothing inside.

"Abarai. Aren't you going home?"

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. Didn't he know what summer break was?

"…I'm bored."

Tatsuki looked at him, outraged. He was sitting here, still at school because he was bored. She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. A significant gap was between them. Tatsuki didn't want to close it. She didn't know what reaction she would get from Abarai. He was spontaneous; you never knew what his next move was.

"I guess I'm bored, too."

For once, Renji looked at her. He focused on her instead of the horizon behind the buildings. He blinked. His hand was on the ground. Tatsuki put her hands down to each side, accidentally placing one hand on top of Renji's. When she realized what she did, she snatched her hand back, slightly blushing. Renji didn't mind. He looked a bit disappointed. If only she had left her hand there.

"Uh…so…do you want to go to the beach or something? I mean…we both have nothing to do…"

Tatsuki nervously rubbed the back of her neck. Renji smirked.

"Sure."


	17. Tatsuki in Wonderland I

**Chapter 17: Tatsuki in Wonderland I**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, and possibly some other pairings. You can find the characters out yourself.

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **14-year-old Tatsuki has the strangest dream, ever. Part I of the complete story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters! This story is also based on the book, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

**Note:** Reviews are loved! Please and thank you! This is not a memory; this story is a special chapter for you guys to enjoy. Tatsuki has this dream before she even meets Renji.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

It was a queer place to be. The light streaming through the openings that the gathering of leaves failed to conceal made dapples upon the lush green grass.

It was queer to find herself in a dress. Tatsuki brushed some stray leaves and grass off of a crimson, form-fitting dress. It ended a bit above her knees. The dress was strangely comfortable. Thin straps helped suspend the dress, so it wouldn't slip off.

It was queer, that Tatsuki didn't feel angry in a dress. Where was she? What time was it? Then she noticed something panicking. Was that Chappy the pink bunny? Tatsuki rubbed her eyes. Chappy held a very large, silver pocket watch, which was twice its size.

"Oh dear. Oh my! I'm late for the trial!"

Tatsuki couldn't believe it. Her mouth agape, she quickly jumped up. "You can talk?"

"Silly girl. Of COURSE I can talk!"

"What…are you late for?"

"I'm late! The queen is executing Jack for freeloading tomorrow. I must help her prepare for the trial and the execution."

Tatsuki raised her eyebrow. She was about to ask Chappy another question, but he was speeding off. She quickly followed, due to curiosity. She didn't have anything better to do, anyway. Chappy darted from here to there. Tatsuki was amazed to find that the floor had turned into a large, black-and-white chessboard. Her black heels click-clacked on the hard floor. Chappy jumped into a hole. Tatsuki stopped, skidding before she fell in. She looked down. The hole was so dark and deep. She didn't know what lay below. But if Chappy wasn't yelling in pain… She decided to jump.

Down…

Down…

Down…

Tatsuki's stomach churned, the familiar sensation of falling kicking in. She shrieked when she found that someone was falling beside her. A young man about her age with brilliant orange hair scowled back at her. "Who the hell are you?" Tatsuki asked. The guy closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I am whoever you think I am. I am whatever you believe I am. I'm an enigma, yet you know my secret." But before he could say another word, Tatsuki punched him in the cheek. "Shut up." The young man seemed close to exploding. Surprisingly, there was a loud "poof" and he was gone. Tatsuki muttered, "This goddamn place is weird."

Tatsuki landed with a soft _thud_ on a couch covered in fallen leaves. She pushed herself up, the crisp sound of leaves being crushed under her stilettos echoing in the dimly lit hall before her. She heard a familiar voice. "Another "off with your head" and it'll be off with HER head!" Tatsuki saw Chappy rushing towards a door. She followed, excited for some insignificant reason. "Chappy! Wait!" But Chappy quickly shut the door behind him. Tatsuki hissed in annoyance, pulling the door open and heading in. But what she found inside was very strange.

"Ugh. Everything's _pink._" Tatsuki complained. She rubbed her eyes. Fuzzy pink pillows were littered on the floor. The walls were a sickening shade of pink. There was a glass table in the middle of the room, with a bottle of pink liquid. There was a tag attached to the bottle that said, _'Drink me'._ Chappy shut a very tiny door behind him. How he managed to shrink, Tatsuki didn't know.

Tatsuki walked towards the small door. The sound of her heels on the hard floor bounced off the walls of the disgustingly feminine room. She crouched down, turning the miniscule knob with two fingers. She took a peep, sighing in wonder and amazement at what she saw. It was a door that led to a beach with clear blue waters and white-gold sand. She closed the door.

"I can't even fit my whole fist through there. How am I going to get anywhere?"

Then she looked at the bottle of pink liquid. She was feeling a little thirsty… What would possibly happen from drinking some mysterious, enigmatic liquid in an ugly shade of pink? She sauntered towards the glass table, taking the bottle in her hands. She untwisted the cap. "It says 'Drink me', after all. I mean…what could happen?" She said to herself. She sniffed the liquid. It was fizzy…like soda. She shrugged and took a small sip. She found that she actually liked the stuff. Then something happened.

She was _shrinking._ Tatsuki felt sick in the stomach. She clutched her head, crouching over. Then the weird nausea stopped. She looked up. Everything was so big! The door was far away. She walked towards it. Finally! She could get out of this frightening room. In a few minutes, she was in front of the door. Turning the knob with her hand, she walked in and quickly shut the door behind her. But what she saw didn't make sense. Only a few moments ago, the beach was sunny and bright. Now, the sky rumbled. The beach was shrouded in fog and gloominess. Then there it was. A big tidal wave headed towards Tatsuki.

"Ehehehe…" She laughed, nervously as she felt around behind her for the doorknob. She whipped around. The door had vanished. _"So this is how I die…"_ She thought, the wave devouring her, pulling her into the murky waters of the ocean.

Her vision was blurred. Then she felt the tightness in her lungs. She needed to breathe. She quickly swam up, up, up. She gasped for air as her head broke the surface of the waters. "Here! Grab my hand!" Someone held out a hand to her. She couldn't see, feeling around for the man's hand. A firm hand gripped hers and gently pulled her ashore. She lay on a hard floor, her chest heaving. She opened her eyes. A very tall man who looked about her age or possibly older stared down at her with worried eyes. He had tattoos for eyebrows, beady pupils, and flaming red hair. Tatsuki coughed. He _was_ kind of cute, though… She mentally slapped herself. "Thanks." She croaked. He held out his hand. She placed her cold hands in his large, warm one. He pulled her up. He was very, very tall.

"You must've sweat a lot in your life."

"Huh?"

He pointed towards a large pool.

"That's a pool of your sweat."

"Oh…" Tatsuki was really confused.

"What's your name?"

"Tatsuki. Who the hell are you?"

His eyebrows twitched. _"No need to be so rude…"_

"Jack."

Then it hit her.

"So, you're the one who's being executed for freeloading tomorrow, right?"

Jack clammed up. Tatsuki guessed that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well that's a stupid reason for executing you."

Jack looked at her.

Tatsuki grinned. _"Maybe I'll go to the trial thing. Maybe I can save this guy." _She didn't know what made her feel like saving him, but she wanted to. He didn't seem like a bad guy. He had saved her from drowning, after all.

Jack blinked. This girl was either bold or stupid. The Queen's reasons for execution were not to be called 'stupid'. The Queen was almighty, after all. Because Jack, had indeed, loved her. But she had fallen in love and could not return his feelings. The Queen did not like seeing Jack. One would pity him for his unrequited love.

Tatsuki saw a door behind Jack. But what was strange was that the door wasn't attached to a wall. It was just _there._ Her eyes widened in amazement. "It's getting stranger and stranger…." She murmured. Jack raised an eyebrow and grunted.

"Well…I better get going. The Queen is going to lock me up, soon."

With that, he disappeared.

Tatsuki somehow missed his presence. She didn't know why. He was just a stranger to her, right? She shrugged and opened the mysterious door. What did it lead to? She blinked. It led to a forest path. She shut the door behind her. She looked back. Of course, the door had disappeared. She nibbled on her lip, nervously, as she walked through the quiet forest and all its wild, natural glory. There were vibrant flowers along the dirt road. The forest was dim, as the trees concealed the sky and almost all light, but she saw a bright sliver of light up ahead. Basking in its glory… Was a girl… Or was that a guy? Tatsuki approached the person with the insignificant gender.

"Umm…hello?"

"H-hi."

It was definitely a guy. But the small, fragile-looking boy seemed to be quite shy and soft-spoken.

"W-who are you?"

"Tatsuki. And you?"

"You can call me Hana. Short for Hanatarou."

"What are you doing here?"

"W-well…I've been confined here."

"By who? And for what?"

"By the Mad Hatter. I forgot to get her make-up. So until I have the money to get her make-up, I have to keep selling a bit of this magical mushroom I'm sitting on."

"Oh… I'd buy some if I had money… What does the mushroom do, anyway?"

"Actually…it doesn't do anything."

"Oh… Then it's not magical mushroom."

Tatsuki felt something in her hand. She looked down and saw that she was holding a gold coin.

"Will this be enough to buy some?"

Hanatarou looked at the sparkling gold coin and smiled in amazement.

"That's more than enough! That's enough to buy a life-time's supply of make-up!"

Tatsuki didn't need the money. Not in this queer place.

"I'll buy a bit of mushroom from you, then. That's okay, right?"

Hanatarou couldn't stop smiling.

"Oh yes, yes! Thank you so much!"

Hanatarou leaped and clung on to Tatsuki's neck. Tatsuki's cheeks turned a slight pink and she felt a bit warm and fizzy. Her stomach felt funny. Hanatarou took the coin and grinned. "Take as much as you possibly want, Tatsuki-chan."

Then, he disappeared.

My, what a strange place.


	18. Tatsuki in Wonderland II

**Chapter 18: Tatsuki in Wonderland II**

**Characters/Pairings: **RenjiTatsuki, and possibly some other pairings. You can find the characters out yourself.

**Rating: **T, at most.

**Summary: **14-year-old Tatsuki has the strangest dream, ever. Part II of the complete story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters! This story is also based on the book, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

**Note:** Reviews are loved! Please and thank you! Rukia's PMSing, so she might be OOC. Her self-doubting side can be seen, but then her PMSing nature breaks through. Sorry if I portrayed Rukia to be a little too evil here. But you can't really blame a PMSing lady.

_**Let's begin the story…**_

Tatsuki's eyebrows were knit in frustration.

"Damn. I forgot to ask Hanatarou if he knew a place where I could go. I should've asked him for directions…"

She shrugged. Oh well.

As she walked along the dirt path, she saw a cheaply made, rigged sign. There were 'arrows' pointing this way and back, labeled with different names.

"The Maze… The Duchess's Mansion…" She read, slowly.

She blinked. "I think I'll go to the Duchess's Mansion. Maybe she can help me find my way out of here."

Tatsuki headed in the direction that the arrow pointed to. Soon enough, the forest had ended. She saw a pale blue mansion with marble columns and pillars, chestnut wood doors and golden knobs. The windows had a Parisian touch to them. The grass was very green, well kept.

Soon enough, she was at the double-doors of the mansion. She rang the bell, which made a pleasant sound. At least, as far as she could hear. Tatsuki ducked as the door opened and a pot was aimed for her head. The soft cry of a baby could be heard, as well as the screaming of a woman. Tatsuki cautiously entered. If this is what it took for her question to be answered, then she didn't mind. She would take the risk of her being knocked out by a frying pan, or even a wok.

"Umm…excuse me?"

A mere girl her age looked back at her, holding an innocent baby with the same shade of hair and the same, naïve eyes. The girl was about Tatsuki's age. She had long, orange hair, and eyes the color of a stormy sky. Two strands of the girl's hair were separated from the rest of her hair at the top with blue, snowflake-shaped hair clips.

"Ah. Hello. I'm the Duchess. What is your name?"

"Tatsuki."

"Tatsuki-chan, please be careful. Chizuru is PMSing right now, because I won't let her touch my boobs. And she's throwing her cooking utensils at me and Kiyoshi."

The Duchess referred to her baby.

"Damn straight."

Tatsuki discovered a black cat with golden eyes staring back at her with a stoic expression.

"You can talk?"

"Yes. And don't call me a cat. The name's Yoruichi." The black cat lowered her head into a bucket of popcorn and began munching on some of the buttery substance. Tatsuki was a bit freaked out. But Yoruichi was an interesting thing…cat… Uh…

"DUCK!" The Duchess warned.

Tatsuki ducked in the knick of time, avoiding permanent brain damage.

"You didn't even let me near them!" Chizuru cried. She stomped out the door in tears.

Tatsuki let out a sigh of relief.

"Good riddance." Yoruichi said in her flat, masculine voice.

The Duchess sighed. "I am to be executed after the trial tomorrow. The Queen is having my trial after Jack's." Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. Two trials in a day? What is the reason this time?

"Uh…why?"

"Simply because she says I have boobs and she doesn't."

The Duchess looked down at her chest. "I can't even see my feet." She walked over to Tatsuki, handing her the baby. "I'm sorry, Tatsuki-chan, but could you take care of Kiyoshi for me? Please? I'm to be locked away…" With that, the Duchess left.

"Do you really think that's a baby?" Yoruichi asked.

"Eh?"

Tatsuki looked down. In her arms was a lion plush. She dropped the thing. It had a very perverted look on its face. The plush landed softly on the sofa. It made no sound or movement. It was inanimate. Yoruichi began to lick her paws clean.

"Where do I go?"

The cat looked up, pausing.

"Depends on where you want to go."

Tatsuki was even more confused than before. "Where I want to go? But I don't know _where_ I want to go. Hell, I don't even know _what_ this world is." But Yoruichi had disappeared. Tatsuki was alone, once more. She sighed and headed out to the fields. She found a path that led to some sort of forest with trees that were about to lose their leaves. The leaves were in warm, autumnal colors. Many of them had fallen to the ground, collecting in small piles.

"Mad Hatter's Tea Party or The Maze?"

Tatsuki turned around.

"Yoruichi!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's me. Now where do you want to go?"

"I want to go visit the Mad Hatter."

After all, Hanatarou had mentioned her, right? Tatsuki wanted to see the person who was in desperate want of make-up. Who would actually send someone to sit on a mushroom, trying to sell bits of it in a secluded forest?

Yoruichi yawned and stretched a paw ahead.

"Go that way."

And the cat had, once again, vanished. Tatsuki muttered a quiet "Thanks." before she headed towards the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Soon enough, she heard a feminine voice laughing, along with a sneaky laugh, and perhaps…someone devouring food? Tatsuki saw a woman, a man, and a small girl. The woman had gentle eyes, slender hands, and was soft-spoken. She wore her long, ebon braid backwards. The man beside her had an oversized, striped hat with a '10 OFF!' card still slipped into the place between a black band and the hat itself. The small girl wore a headband with bunny ears attached to it. She had pink hair, and her cheeks were a rosy red. The child was eating a slice of cake, her cheeks full with the sugary sweet stuff.

"G'day, there. Plenty of seats here. Why don't you sit down?"

"Yes. It's a beautiful day. Please, have a seat and a cup of tea."

The woman gestured to a seat across from her. Tatsuki nodded. She placed herself in a comfortable seat, silently. Tatsuki thanked the woman and the man, sipping tea from a cup. The small child swallowed the cake that was in her mouth.

"Are you a dyke?"

Tatsuki spit out the bit of tea that was in her mouth. She had heard that a lot, but it felt especially offending, coming from the mouth of a little girl.

The woman who seemed to be the Mad Hatter shook her head in both amusement and shame.

"Dear heavens. Where did you learn that word, March Hare?"

"From the Executioner, of course. Ken-chan teaches me all sorts of words. I'm so happy!" After declaring her current mood, March Hare began devouring another plate of cake.

"She learns quite quickly, don't you think?" The man asked the Mad Hatter, who nodded in agreement.

"Excuse me, but when is the trial?" Tatsuki asked, impatient.

The man laughed. "Why, it's today. In about half an hour."

"What?" Tatsuki asked, rather loudly. She thought it was tomorrow…

"The Queen changed the time a while ago. Mad Hatter, March Hare, and I are going to the trial. In fact, practically everyone is going. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum are attending, as well as Chappy."

"I got make-up from Hanatarou!"

"You did? I just couldn't resist buying this hat. I mean…it was 10 off!"

"What a great buy!"

Strangely, the Mad Hatter didn't have a hat.

Two men entered the scene, drawing closer and closer to the elaborate table.

"It's the Tweedle brothers!" Cried March Hare.

One of the men had his brown hair slicked back. He seemed to be a very calculating, manipulative man. Something about his eyes just seemed sneaky. The other man, however, was even sneakier. He had a smile like that of a thief, and his eyes were constantly closed. His silver-bluish hair glistened in the light.

"Beautiful day, isn't it, Mad Hatter?"

"Yes."

Tweedle-Dum, the one with the brown hair and the thick-rimmed glasses clipped onto his shirt, picked the Mad Hatter up and began to carry her bridal-style.

"Tweedle-Dum…" Mad Hatter didn't know what to say. She looked over Tweedle-Dum's shoulder and waved to Tatsuki, the man with the striped hat, and March Hare. Tweedle-Dee followed his brother. He turned back and said, "If you don't mind, Tweedle-Dum will be borrowing Mad Hatter for the day."

Then the three left.

Tatsuki raised her eyebrow. "What's happening? Why is he carrying her off?"

The blonde man with the green striped hat looked at her and grinned. "It's his sneaky way of being affectionate to his love interest."

"Eh?"

"They are opposites. They complete each other. But then again, we're all _mad_ here!" With that, March Hare and the man began laughing hysterically. A bead of sweat rolled down Tatsuki's face. They were making her nervous. They were too busy to notice that Tatsuki had disappeared.

"Weirdoes." Tatsuki muttered under her breath. She stomped on the marble path. Strangely, it was made out of marble. What can she say? Far ahead, she saw a very fancy building. She heard the sound of a trumpet. Maybe a collection of them was what she heard. Tatsuki began running. "The trial!" She yelled.

The double doors of the dome-shaped building were open and guarded by cards. Tatsuki rushed inside and seated herself amongst many other people. She saw the March Hare and the man in the front.

"How did they get here so fast?" She wondered.

She also saw Chizuru, the Mad Hatter, the Tweedle brothers, Hanatarou, Yoruichi, Chappy, the "enigmatic" man with the scowl and the orange hair, the Duchess, Jack, and many other people she didn't know of. The doors were closed with a loud _thump_. The Queen sat next to an empty throne. She had eyes that were a nice shade of purple, and her hair was short and black. She _was_ rather short. The court was brought to a silence as the Queen cleared her throat.

"The King could not attend, for he is busy sewing things. The trials will continue without him."

Jack came up in front of her, accompanied by one of those living cards. "Jack, you are to be held under trial for freeloading. You took one of my jam cookies without asking." Jack avoided her gaze. He seemed to be shaking…from anger? The Duchess was accompanied by two more cards to the center of the room. "And Duchess, you have bigger boobs than me. I consider that unfair." The Queen seemed a bit bored. The Duchess tried looking down, but she couldn't see her feet.

"Off with their heads."

"No! Wait!" Tatsuki rushed to the center of the room.

"You can't do that! Set them free!"

"Who are you?" The Queen asked, rising a little from her throne. She gripped the armrests with her fragile, delicate hand.

"Set them free. I bet you freeloaded, too. Nobody said, 'off with your head!' when you did. And the Duchess can't help having bigger boobs than you. She was born with the genes. You were born with a flat chest." Tatsuki said, curtly.

"_No need to be so rude…" _Jack thought. The Duchess looked at Tatsuki with a slightly happy, hopeful glimmer in her eyes. The Queen was outraged. She was silent for a few moments. Then she slumped down in her golden throne with a dramatic flair.

"Yes. You're right. I've been under so much pressure, lately, that I've been taking it out on innocent people. I'm such a fool… I must be PMSing right now…"

Then after a few moments…

"Get her."

Tatsuki's eyes widened. "You're…bipolar!" Someone grabbed her hand and led her out the doors. Jack fought the guards down and continued leading Tatsuki to the maze.

"Stay close. I'm going to get you home."

"What? How do you know I'm not from here?"

"Shut up. Just keep moving."

Tatsuki was annoyed, but she listened to him, anyway. She heard a mob of people following them. But she tried not to think about it too much. Soon enough, they were led to what seemed like a dead end.

"This is a dead end, Jack."

"No. It isn't." Jack took something out of his pocket. He quickly took her hand, placed the small things in her hand and closed her palm over them.

"Don't forget me." Jack quickly said. He spun her around and pushed her into the hedge, but it was a portal. "Jack… What about you?" Tatsuki whispered.

Then, she woke up.

"Damn. I fell asleep on my homework again." Tatsuki cursed. She felt something in her hand. She looked down. They were a pair of pearl studs.

Tatsuki wondered if it truly was a dream. But a year later, she met Jack. Except, his name was Abarai Renji.


End file.
